Elevator system



June R2, 11923.

W. GROMER ELEVATOR SYSTEM 2 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed Sept. 28 1922 INVENTOR rb'mer syfl A TTOR/VEVS June 12, 1923. 1,458,881

W. GR'OMER ELEVATOR SYSTEM Filed Sept. 28 1922 2 Sheets-"Sheet 2 A TTOR/VEYS Patented June 12, 1923.

UNITED STATES WOLFGANG 636MB, NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELEVATOR SYSTEM.

Application and September 28, 1922. Serialllo. 591,121.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WOLFGANG Gnonna,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, Woodside, borough of Queens, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Elevator System, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to elevators and hasfor its principal object to provide an improved elevator system involving the use of a plurality of cages and guiding, supporting and controlling means therefor, whereby a cage is not limited to ascents and descents in a single shaft, but is also shifted horizontally at different levels and at different times for transport from one shaft to another, whereby a greater plurality of cages are employed than the number of shafts, and a considerably greater number of passengers may be transported from one level to another in a given period of time than in previous systems of equal or greater space requirements and installation, operation and maintenance cost.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying draws ing, showing a merely illustrative embodiment of the lnvention but one at present preferred. 1

In these drawings, which are partially diagrammatic to an extent conducive to clarity of disclosure and brevity of description:

Figure 1 is avertical section on line 11 of Figure 2; v 40 Figure 2 is a vertical section on line 29' of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view being a horizontal section taken substantially on line 33 of Figure 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

It is a fact well appreciated that where previous elevator systems are installed of such a nature that each cage has no stops intermediate the top and bottom of its shaft, as at subway, elevated railway or railroad stations having train platforms a considerable distance above or below the street level, and in other similar locations, the number of passengers seeking elevator service is so large at certain times that very much delayed service and considerable congestion is the rule at these times; or prohibitively expensive installations must be made. Such last-mentioned installations would necessarily include either a greater pluralit of shafts than two, each with its own single cage, or if only two shafts are provided, such very large cages are required that considerable time is lost due to the comparatively long stoppages of the cage at the top and bottom of its shaft to receive and dischairge the great number of passengers carrie The elevator system now to be described, is designed particularly for use in cases, like the foregoing; but it will obviously be very valuable in any location where the system is used between a higher and a lower level with no intermediate stops. It will be understood, of course, in any event, that the invention is to be employed wherever and however such employment appears advantageous.

Pursuant to the foregoing, the illustrative system shown in the drawings, includes two shafts, one at 4 and the other at 5;

Shaft 4 is the shaft for the ascending cages and shaft 5 is the shaft for the descending cages. In the present case but one cage 6 is arranged to travel in each of these shafts at a time; but it will readily be understood from what appears hereinafter that several cages may at one time be in process of ascent or descent, especially in installations where the shafts are of considerable length.

While the cages 6 in the shafts are asscending and descending, other ca es 6 in the system are travelling horizontal y at the upper level 7 and in the opposite direction at the lower level 8.

All the cages are of the same construction, preferably, and each cage is,provided with sets of short rollers 9 at its bottom and a single loosely journaled axle 10 at its top. This axle carries at opposite sides of the cage terminal enlargements 11, also constituting rollers, and hence such enlargements will be hereinafter referred to as the top rollers for the cage.

The guiding and supporting means for a cage while travelling horizontally at the lower level, include a pair of floor tracks 12 and the similar means for a cage while travelling horizontally at the upper level, include a pair of overhead tracks 13. The tracks 12 coact with the rollers 9 of a cage, as shown best in Figure 3, and the tracks 13 coact with the top rollers 11 of a cage, as best shown in Figure 1.

In order simultaneously to cause the ascent and descent of cages 6 in shafts 4 and 5 in timed relation, there is provided a pair of endless chains 14 continuously travelling in parallel and similar paths, and carrying between them two freely suspended transverse supports 15, these supports being properly spaced for successively travelling with and below the different cages during the ascents and descents of such cages.

A pair of chains 16 at the upper level, and a pair of chains 17 at the lower level, it will be noted, are also provided, the purpose of which chains will be understood in a moment.

In order that the line of cages at the upper level may be predeterminedly and intermittently shifted to the right by the chains 16, said chains are transversely joined, as shown best in Fig. 3, by bars 18 carrying depending hooks 19. Near the beginning of each ascent of a cage 6 in shaft '4, chains 16 are operated by means hereinafter described, and the hooks 19 travel with their chains 16 so that one of the three pairs of such hooks moves to the right .to engage axle 10 at the top of the cage just ahead of said ascending cage, which latter cage is then in shaft 4 at the upper level and temporarily at rest, being there suspended by a temporary suspending means T hereinafter described. Such movement of chains 16 is continuous, until the cage suspended from such means T and the two cages ahead of it are moved to the right along the upper level, thereby to dispose a second ahead cage at the top of shaft 5 for reception by a temporary supporting means T there located and hereinafter described.

As the parts are shown in Fig. 1, therefore, such movement of the line of cages at the upper level has already occurred, so that now all the cages at the upper level are temporarily at rest once more, and the ascending cage 6 in shaft 4 is approaching the upper level.

In order that the line of cages at the lower level may be predeterminedly and intermittently shifted to the left by the chains 17, such chains are transversely joined, as shown best in Fig. 1, by bars 20. Near the beginning of each descent of a cage 6 in shaft 5, chains 17 are operated by means'hereim after described and the bars 20 travel with chains 17, so that one of the three bars moves to the left to engage hooks 20' carried at its bottom by the cage 6 just ahead of said descending cage.

As the parts are shown in Fig. 1, such. movement of the line of cages at the lower level has likewise occurred, and such line of cages is at rest like the line of cages at the upper level, the supports 15 on the chains 14 being so spaced that while the chains 14 are acting to elevate one cage in the shaft 4, such chains are acting to support another cage in its descent in the shaft 5, a pair of cages starting their movements in both shafts simultaneously.

Of course, it will be understood that the tracks 12 for the cages at the lower level extend at the right well across shaft 5, so that when a cage reaches the bottom of shaft 5 and while such cage is being moved to the left at the lower level, such cage is always supported by said tracks; and it will further be understood that each cage is caused to leave the lower level and ascend in shaft 4 as the result of a support 15 coming into engagement with the cage bottom at the proper instant and following the travel of such support along the bottom stretches of chains 14 from right to left of Figure 1; while each cage in descending shaft 5 drops by gravity, but with its rate of descent controlled and timed by the rate of travel of chains 14, due to the fact that from the instant the last-mentioned cage leaves the upper level and until said cage reaches the bottom of shaft 5 and deposits its rollers on tracks 12, the cage, while suitably guided by shaft 5, is supported by the transverse support 15 underlying the bottom of said cage.

It will be noted from Figure 1 that the tracks 12 are broken away where the chains 14 descend therebelow, in order to permit the transverse supports 15 to follow through with said chains; and in order to allow a cage 6, nevertheless, to pass easily across such gaps in tracks 12, a plurality of overhead tracks 13, like the tracks 13 at the upper level, are provided as shown in Figure 1. These tracks 13 of course, at the proper times, take the top rollers 10 of a cage, in a manner which will be well understood.

The temporary suspending means T, as shown best in Figures 1 and 2, includes a pair of terminal track sections 21 at the entrance or left-hand'end of each overhead track 13 at the upper level, these sections being pivoted at 22 in Figure 2 and associated with stop means, as at 23, whereby when a cage in shaft 4 has been elevated to be close to its final horizontal alignment with the other cages then at the upper level the top rollers 11 of such ascending cage latch past said track sections 21 and thereupon said cage is suspended by means of such sections and said top rollers; at which instant. of course, in accordance with the design of the parts, the transverse support 15 under said cage clears away from the J underside of the cage and passes with chains 14 toward and beyond idler 24, as indicated at 15' in Figure 1.

The tem orary supporting means T 1ncludes, as best shown in Figures 1 and 3, a plurality of small Slldlng platforms at the upper level of shaft 5, these platforms being suitably urged as by springs 26 to project into said shaft m pos1t1on to suport the last cage to the r ght at the upper evel, as soon as said cage 15 moved squarely over the top of shaft 5; it being noted that then the to rollers 11 of this cage have pamed just yond the right-hand ends of overhead tracks 13. Such temporary supporting .means thus holds the last-mentioned cage at the upper level until, at a future instant predetermined by the design of the parts, a transverse support 15 on chains 14 and travelling with such chains to the right of Figure 1 beyond idler sprocket 24, 1s just coming into position under said cage. As said support comes into such position, the opposite end portions of the support engage a pair of levers 27, swing both levers, and thereby through the connections 29 retract all the platforms sufficiently to cause thecage to follow smoothly the support 15 the instant the latter starts toward its straight line descent with chains 14 in shaft 5.

When the last-mentioned cage reaches the bottom of the shaft 5, its bottom rollers 9 settle on fioor tracks 12, and the transverse support 15 then under the cage passes on with the chains 14 beyond such tracks and the cage.

The chains 14, 16 and 17 are all power driven; the chains 14 being continuously driven from a suitable power shaft 29, as indicated in Figure 1, and each of chains 16 and 17 being driven intermittently by its own separate motor such motors being indicated at and 31 respectively in Figure 1.

As has been hereinbefore explained, the three sets of chains operate in such timed relations that as an ascending cage starts up its shaft 4, a descending cage simultaneously starts down its shaft 5; soon after which the upper chain 16 and the lower chain 17 areoperated sufiiciently, as stated above, to shift the three cages then at the top level to the right and to shift the three cages at the bottom level to the left.

In order to provide automatic means for thus properly operating the chains 16 and 17, the motors 30 and 31 are each included in a circuit held open or closed by switchoperating means controlled by the movements of the various cages. To that end, each cage carries a pair of wipers or projections 32, arranged on the cageas shown best in Fig. 3.

Referring to the circuit for motor 30 as shown in Fig. 1, such circuit includes connections 33, 34 and 35, and a switch 36 between the last twp connections; Switch 36 pivotally carries an armature 37 common to a pair of solenoids 38'and 39. From an examination of the other connections shown on the drawing and having interposed therein such solenoids, it will be seen that when a pair of contacts 38 are brid d, the solenoid 38 will be energized, and w en a pair of contacts 39 are bridged, the solenoid 39 will be energized, the former to open the circuit for motor 30 (which is the condition illustrated), and the latter to close such motor circuit. It will thus be clear that when the cage 6, now nearing the top of its shaft 4, was just passing above the lower level, the wiper 32 on the left hand side of said cage at that instant bridged -the contacts 38, thus energizing the solenoid 38 to throw switch 36 to start motor 30, but following the events just mentioned, the cage 6 at the upper level and immediately behind the cage descending in shaft 5, has already reached its position overlying the latter shaft, and so the wiper 32 on the right hand side of the cage now overlying said shaft 5, is bridging the contacts 39 and has thus already acted to energize the solenoid 39 to return switch 36 again to open the circuit for motor 30.

Referring to the circuit for motor 31, exactly similar parts and circuit sub-divisions are provided as in the case of the motor 30; it being noted that as a cage 6 is nearing the beginning of its descent in shaft 5, the wiper 32 on the right hand side of that cage momentarily bridges contacts 40 to energize a solenoid 40 to close the circuit for the motor 31, such motor continuing to run until, during the descent of the last-mentioned cage, the cage 6 at the extreme left of the lower level reaches its position below shaft 4 (the condition illustrated in the drawing) at which instant the'wiper 32 on the left hand side of the last-mentioned cage bridges contacts 41 to energize a solenoid 41 to open the circuit for the motor 31.

The operation of the new system should be clear from the foregoing; it being obvious that as the cages of the top and bottom levels are shifted horizontally intermittently, they may be arranged to discharge passengers at one or more of the positions thev momentarily occupy during their horizontal shifting and to take on passengers at one or more of such positions. Also as the upper and lower chains 16 and 17 will probably operate at rather slow speeds, and very slow speeds indeed where the shafts 4 and 5 are very much longer, relative to the horizontal distance separating the shafts, than such relation as indicated in Fig. 1, such discharging and receiving of passengers may occur while a cage is being shifted horizontally from one position to another.

Various sli ht changes might be made in the general arm an arrangement of the parts described without departmg from the invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but con-' sider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an elevator system, a plurality of cages, guiding means for the cages including vertical and horizontal guideways, and means for controllin the rate of descent of a cage in the vertica guideway and-for s multaneously shifting a cage along the horizontal guideway.

2. In an elevator system, a plurality of cages, guiding means for the cages including vertical and horizontal gu1deways, s a1d guideways constituting a contlnuousguiding means, a cage, and means for causing said cage to traverse all the guideways one after the other.

3. In an elevator system, a lurality of shafts, a plurality of horizonta guideways each joining the two shafts at separate levels, a plurality of cages, means for supporting a cage for ascent in one shaft, means for supportlng a cage for descent 1n the other shaft, a single operating means for the two means last-mentioned, and means for engaging and detaining a cage at one end of each shaft to permit the single operating means to carry said supporting means beyond said cage. p

4. The system defined in claim 3, wherein the single operating means includes an endless member.

5. The system defined in claim 3, wherein the single operating means includes an endless member, and means continuously moving said endless member longitudinally in a fixed path.

6. The system defined in claim 3, wherein the single operating means includes an endless member, and auxiliary operating means for horizontally shifting a cage from each shaft to the other at said levels.

7. The system defined in claim 3, wherein the single operating means includes an musse endless member, and auxiliary operating means for horizontally shiftin a cage from each shaft to the other at said levels, said auxiliary operating means including endless chains one at each of said levels.

8. The system defined in claim 3, wherein the single operating means includes an endless member, and auxiliary operating means for horizontally shifting a cage from each shaft -to the other at said levels, said operating means including a plurality of endless chains and means for moving one of said chains continuously and for moving another of said chains intermittently.

9. In an elevator system, a plurality of shafts, a plurality of horizontal guideways each joining the two shafts at separate levels, a plurality of cages, means for transferring a cage from either shaft to a guideway and from either guideway to a shaft, means for moving a cage in a shaft from one level to the other, means for intermittently moving a cage in a guideway from one shaft to the other, and means partially carried by a cage and partially carried by a shaft for controlling the intermittent operation of the means for moving a cage m a guideway.

10. In an elevator system, a plurality of shafts, a plurality of horizontal guideways each joining the two shafts at separate levels, a plurality of cages, means for transferring a cage from either shaft to a guideway and from either guideway to a shaft, means for moving a cage in a shaft from one level to the other, means for intermittently moving a cage in a guideway from one shaft to the other, said means for moving a cage in a shaft and in a guideway being separate endless members, separate electric motors for driving said endless members longitudinall in fixed paths, and controlling means or the motor for the endless member for moving a cage in a ideway, said controlling means including circuit controlling means for the motor last-mentioned; said circuit controlling means being partially carried by a cage and partially carried by a shaft.

WOLFGANG GROMER. 

